Why We Should Give Generously?

Why We Should Give Generously?                                                                                                                                     

Let me start out with saying, I have not always been the most generous of people. In fact I’m still not. I have cynical thoughts about those people I see alongside the road with signs asking for help. I think to myself, is this someone playing me for a sucker? Is he going to walk away from here, get in his new Mercedes and drive away? Try as I may, I can’t get myself to give those folks anything.                                 

What I have learned is when you give with joy, selflessness, and love, you benefit greatly. The attitude you bring to your giving will reflect the benefits you gain. Parents share their shelter, food, and love with their children simply because they love them and not because they seek their love. Ultimately, the rewards are tremendous.                                                                                                                                                      

When you give to others or give of yourself to meaningful causes, things change. You expect more of yourself. You discover new feelings of self-worth. Indeed, you begin to tap into your true gifts and talents. And when you do that, you can achieve your full potential as you help yourself and others.            

For some of us it does not come easy. What I have done is to see those folks commonly referred to as the working poor. Try as they might they are doing everything they can to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. These are the folks I try and focus my efforts. I can’t get cynical here.                             

Do you know about a family or senior citizen who needs a little extra help during the holidays? Families are experiencing any number of issues.  While the most common is unemployment, there is also the under employed, or the working poor. Both have left them at Christmas with very few resources. For senior citizens, it’s individuals who are alone because they’ve lost a spouse and have no family or they are being protected from some kind of abuse. Without our help, they won’t be celebrating Christmas.      

The holiday spirit is infection this time of year.  It’s the time when people are nicer, more compassionate, more giving, and usually happier.  The spirit of giving is an interesting component of the overall holiday spirit.  It can be loosely defined by the Webster dictionary as an inclination, impulse, or tendency to give.  How can you not be intrigued by an invisible force that mystically inspires people to give more than any other time of year?  Almost all non-profit organizations receive 40% of their yearly donations in the last six weeks of the year, despite the need for donations all year long.                                

I’m asking everyone who is able to reach out and help someone who needs you. Trust me; you will be better for it. Don't rely on your neighbor to give, because they very well be relying on you.                            

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.                                     

Proverbs 3:27

Your Beach

There's a commercial playing on TV these days showing a guy drinking a Corona on a beach and a flight attendant with one of those big rolling drink carts comes walking up to ask him if he's doing ok.  Turns out he's on a flight daydreaming about the beach.

Have you ever been told at the doctor or the dentist office to "go to your happy place" before a painful or scary procedure?  If so, you've probably found your "beach" someplace and went there in your mind.  This visualization is a powerful tool to help you relax.

Visualization is a technique where you mentally "go" someplace else.  I've seen it used in stress management classes and I've personally used it coaching nervous folks who need to do a presentation.  The mind is a very powerful tool.

I read an article a long time ago about a POW who spent years in the infamous Hanoi Hilton.  To combat the stress of solitary confinement, he would mentally play golf each day.  When he emerged years later, physically debilitated, he managed to have an outstanding score on his first day back on the course.  Each day he "played" the course in his mind and when he played for real, his body was already in sync.

Your "beach" is a great way to de-stress.  Pick a place that you can completely see, in all dimensions.  Imagine the sight, sounds, smells.  Visualize all the activities around you.  Take yourself there and stay there for the duration of the stressful event.  You'll notice a remarkable change in your stress level.

A word of warning though.  Avoid this "beach" while driving, sitting in a boring meeting or class where you may get called on, or when arguing with your significant other.  If you have to interact verbally or visually, you'll be so disconnected that you may not recover in time.  On that stressful flight, painful procedure, or other unnerving situations though, feel free to hit the "beach" and relax.  Who knows, maybe I'll see you there!

Blaming Others To Justify Your Own Bad Behavior

How many times have you heard someone who said something that is mean, vindictive and hurtful, or committed a violent and/or destructive act ,  justify it by saying the recipient had 'made' the perpetrator mad? 

That's an example of using blame to excuse your own bad behavior.
Unfortunately, blame is like anger in that it dulls one sense of empathy. It allows a person to act in a hurtful way to another human being. It isn't the act itself, but it often clears the road. This is a small, but important point. Ordinary humans have inhibitions that serve as a buffer against what we know is bad behavior. Blame is not the act itself, but it either erodes or outright removes these inhibitions, often both . It develops a thought pattern that allows the person's emotions to override his/her self-control in order to achieve an often selfish end -- including sustaining dysfunctional patterns.
While this may seem like an overly harsh statement, also realize the kind of mindset that so quickly adopts blame as a defensive posture for emotional/ego protection is exactly the  same one that will put you in front of, otherwise avoidable, physical danger.

When I teach classes, one of the things I ask the attendees to do in their introductions is to talk about one item on their "Bucket List".

If you're not familiar with the term, a "Bucket List" is a list of things you do before you "kick the bucket."  It was popularized by a movie by the same name a few years ago.  I tell students that by knowing the important things in other folks personal lives (like their "Bucket List" item) they can better build rapport with them.

I'm always amazed at some of the statements.  Most want to travel.  Some want to pilot or jump out of planes.  Some want to see their kids grow up and go to college.  Others want something as simple as retiring. Regardless of what it is, for the person who has the item on the list, it's really important and a nice topic for conversation.  It's also a nice goal to shoot for.  On a personal level, it can give you something special to look forward to.

Have you ever thought about your own "Bucket List" items?

The Most Interesting Man in the World

One of my favorite commercials is the one for Dos Equis Beer involving The Most Interesting Man in the World.  This fictional character seems to be involved in nearly everything and is described with such statements as His mother has a tattoo that says "Son". He doesn't always drink beer, but when he does, it's Dos Equis.

This past week I spoke to an old friend who is looking for a job. He actually made the statement, "I'm not sure I have anything to offer". I told him to leverage his personal strengths to compete for an open position.  In my opinions, more people suffer a lack of self-esteem than are cocky and arrogant.

All of us have unique strengths and abilities.  Those are tied into our life experiences.  It's these experiences that define who we are.  While we don't all have the same whirlwind lifestyle of The Most Interesting Man in the World, certainly we've done some interesting things.  More importantly, if we've ever overcome adversity, that alone is worth leveraging as we work to position our experiences.

What have you overcome?  Divorce?  Health issues?  Deaths of friends or family members? Financial catastrophe?   If you've gone through these valleys and safely emerged on the other side, you're a survivor with a story to tell.  Those intangible things you've learned such as patience, perseverance, compassion, or whatever makes you someone who can get things done.  It makes you indispensible in some way.  It also makes you interesting.

This week, do a self-inventory of what you've done in your lifetime.  List highs and lows, accomplishments and failures.  Each of these are the building blocks that define us.  Then think of ways to take the lessons and traits learned and apply them to whatever you're wrestling with now.

All of us have something to offer but don't expect people to go out of their way to discover it.  You have to identify it and promote it.  Even The Most Interesting Man in the World needs to let someone know of his accomplishments.  What makes you any less interesting than him?

Recently, folks in the United States flooded each other with questions like "what were you doing on 9/11?"  Those of us who are old enough to remember that day can also remember the sights, sounds, smells, reactions, and feelings of that day.  We can recount nearly everything we experienced in those moments and it brings back the hopeless, vulnerable, and sad feelings we all experienced that day.  In a sense, they have become part of what anchors that day in our memory.

Most people, including myself, all have certain "anchors" we reflect on.  They're often about a significant day or event we've experienced and when we think about it, it often elicits certain feelings.

One of my anchors was the day, many years ago, when my boss told me he needed me to be the "slide monkey" (that's the guy who pushes the enter button on a laptop to move the PowerPoint slides forward) while he briefed our Plan.  I had helped create and facilitate this plan and when told all I was to do in the brief was be the "slide monkey" it really hurt.  I hung on to that memory for a long time, and even now I am nauseated when asked to be the "slide monkey" during one of our briefs.

Anchors don't always have to be negative though.  I often think back of times when things went really well and savor the feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment.  Just like the smell of a turkey in the oven reminds you of family gatherings at Thanksgiving (and hopefully some good memories!), positive anchors can take you from a bad mood to a good one.

What are the anchors you're focusing on?  Do you find yourself replaying every hurtful things ever done to you or are you focusing on some of your greatest moments?  What you saturate your mind with will play out in your outward attitude and interactions with others.  Negative people project the same negative feelings that are anchored to events.  The phrase "expect the worst and you won't be disappointed" is a classic example.  On the other hand, being optimistic is nothing more than remembering successes from the past and searching out the same kind of success for the future.

Think about all the POSITIVE anchors in your life.  In spite of what others say, look at each challenge as an opportunity to add yet another POSITIVE anchor into your memory bank.  It's a much happier way to live your life, and people can't help but want to be around those who project optimism.  It's nothing but a simple choice, but only you can make it.

I have always been someone who avoids Pan handlers. I always wonder if they are scamming me. I have to admit this is not one of my few redeeming characteristics. Today I read an article about Vicki Julian's forthcoming work, Simple Things to Make This World a Better Place. As a Minister, Vicki uses biblical reference for each of her examples. She suggest for the needy who ask You for money (Matthew 5:42). Buy fast food certificates and have them handy to give to those who are hungry. Buy bus tokens or discount store gift certificates to give. Keep numbers and addresses of agencies that can help and give it on a card to the person if they are unaware of where to go for assistance.

I am very impressed with this approach and wanted to share it.

God bless our Firefighters.

Too often we take for granted the hard work and training that our full time and volunteer firefighters do. It is with much gratitude that I express thanks them for the fast and professional reaction to the fires all over Texas. It is an honor to have them as a valued part of our community, working industriously to keep us all safe. God bless you all!

Please remember those folks in the Bastrop area. So far, more than 400 homes have burned and more than 5,000 people have been evacuated. More than 25,000 acres have burned.

Close to home for me is Fort Hood. Our Firefighters have been stretched to their limits. Working night and day keeping the wildfires at bay. On Monday, the Jack Mountain wildfire was 75% contained, when the wind picked up the fire regained strength burning an additional 700 acres. In all, it's burned an estimated 3,700 acres.

More than 1 million acres statewide have been destroyed since April 6.

"Your Word Is Your Bond"

This statement was one, I heard all the time, as I was growing up.  I was taught that your word is your bond. This statement meant to always honor your word. My Grandfather would always tell me this. Now that I'm older and have realized life; I understand what my dear old granddad was trying to instill in me. I'm trying to teach my children the same thing.

Granddad told me if we tell someone something, then we should do whatever it was, that we told the person we, would do. Your word is your bond means exactly that you do what you say. I've strived to treat others the way I wanted to be treated, I have always tried to be honest and tell a person exactly what I meant.

If you tell someone you're going to do something, then honor the promise you made to the person. You don't want to build your life on a mountain of lies. I for one, cannot stand a liar, so don't make me any promises you can't or won't keep. Honesty and truth comes from your ability to honor your word in life.

If you live your life with honesty and humility, people will honor you and respect you, because they know they can trust you and your word; regardless of any other circumstances. If you continue to make constant promises and never keep them, then your word won't be worth anything to anyone.

One of the most important messages I want to give my children is; nobody is perfect, and it’s okay to fail. It’s not okay to not use those life lessons to make it better in the future. Chalk it up to life experience and do better. Be honest about your mistakes, and be honest to those around you.

Try to always live your life where anyone can give you a good recommendation as an honest and trustworthy person. You don't want your life shaded by darkness because of not being able to tell the truth, and live accordingly. My Grandfather is dead and gone, but he made me realize that my word is my bond, it's a true saying that I try and live my life by each and every day.

This week I asked myself, "Am I Relevent"?

It seems as though few things are original anymore.  The term "retread" comes from those big truck tires you often see shredded on the highway.  It's a cheap way to extend the life of a tire.  When a retread wears out though, it's a pretty messy thing.  In the NFL, coaches such as Wade Phillips, Mike Shanahan, and Pete Carroll are referred to as "retreads."  They get hired, fired, and rehired by different teams with predictable regularity.

Professionally and personally speaking, how original are you?  Do you regularly think about original ways of doing things or do you fall into the trap of reinventing something old.  In my field, I often run across trainers presenting dated material, tools, and examples that were in vogue back in the early 1990s.  There's something to be said for classic material, but for new audiences, originality is extremely important.  Retro may be "cool", but its popularity is faddish and short-lived.  Our ability to stay current and relevant is key to our being successful.

This week, think about what you do, create, build, or teach.  Ask yourself if you're being original or simply doing a retread of what's been done previously.  If you are, can you at least modify it enough so that the outcome might be relevant?

Why is my are teenage boy starting to talk back, being disrespectful, and wants to quit?

Why is my are teenage boy starting to talk back, being disrespectful, and wants to quit?  This is a question I have been asking myself lately. In doing a little research I ran across a BSA article I had shared on our scouting face book page a while back. It was all about why boys might want to quit scouting, and why the parents should carefully think about their response. I took a few minutes and modified the article to be a bit more generic, not scouting specific. As a parent I find myself frustrated, feeling a bit overwhelmed. This article helped me put things in to perspective. I hope it helps you.

As boys grow up and especially during their adolescence they need consistent, secure, predictable experiences and relationships. Much of their world is shifting and changing as they grow and change themselves. They need affirmation and confidence. Some boys may seem they are encountering changes that make them question their abilities and redefining the way they see themselves. This uncertainty can be invigorating or unsettling, or a bit of both. Boys need expressions of affirmation and confidence especially when they make mistakes in judgment or encounter failure.

Boys are defining the borders of their world as they grow into adults. They question rules, they push limits, they resist. They are looking for the reason behind the expectations imposed on them. They won't admit it, but they appreciate some discipline that helps them focus on these expectations. There are three basic situations to consider: They are in the throes of adolescent uncertainty, sometimes they are clearly headed for trouble. They

may fill their schedule with other interests, they may grow to abhor things they have enjoyed for years. They may just be ready to explore new things. I encourage parents in this situation to help their sons make a clear decision.

When boys are experiencing the uncertainty of adolescence they need consistency, security, affirmation, confidence, discipline and predictable expectations. As a parent I would push him to stick with the activity he wants to quit. Sports, Band, Scouting are just a few examples. He’ll resist, he’ll complain about it, but I’d keep with it for a few months and reassess the situation. If a boy is headed for trouble, by that I mean his behavior and choices are clearly leading him towards people, places and activities that are going to threaten his education, health or safety, his parents are headed for one of two battles. Would you rather go to battle over making him to stick with a positive activity, or would you rather deal with the consequences of your son getting into serious trouble? There’s no guarantee but making him stick to it may save you and your son from suffering the consequences of real trouble.

Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking

I read a classic book by Dale Carnegie entitled How to Win Friends and Influence People. If you've never read it, I'd highly recommend it.  Carnegie's words were penned decades ago but they're still relevant today.  One section of the book is summarized below:

Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking

1.    The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.

2.    Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say "You're Wrong."

3.    If you're wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.

4.    Begin in a friendly way.

5.    Start with questions to which the other person will answer yes.

6.    Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.

7.    Let the other person feel the idea is his or hers.

8.    Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.

9.    Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.

10.   Appeal to the nobler motives.

11.   Dramatize your ideas.

12.   Throw down a challenge.

Each of these is explained in great depth in the book (using examples of people who have long since passed on - which is part of the charm of the book) so I won't attempt to do it here.  What I will do however is encourage you to operate by them, even if just at their face value.

We often encounter shouting matches between people.  Even though the loudest opponent sometimes wins, in the long run, nobody really wins.  The person who feels they are successful, will employ the tactic every time in the future.  The person who feels they lost the argument will immediately have a bad day and pass that attitude on to the next person they come across, which might just incite another explosion. 

The answer?  Keep your cool.  I've found (even though I sometimes have a hair-trigger temper), particularly in dealing with irate people that by using a smile and a calm tone of voice, I get far more than if I am loud and obnoxious.  People feed off our attitude.  If it's good, you'll get it back in return.  If it's bad, you'll get it right back.

This week as you encounter situations with within the community, underperforming employees, or that rude person yakking loudly next to you on their cell phone, take a moment for a quick attitude adjustment.  This week we will all have the opportunity to have some opportunities to practice these principles.  Let's see if we can all have a good week!

Back To School Safety

It’s hard to believe another school year is rolling around!  The first day of school! It is an important time for students, parents, and teachers to get the year started off with a bang.  It’s up to everyone to see that these kids are safe while they are on a school bus, crossing the street, or being carpooled.

Drivers must pay special attention as they approach crosswalks and are in neighborhoods where kids are walking to school.  They may be busy talking to each other and forget to be as careful as they should.  That’s when we all must do our part to ensure their safety.  When you are backing out of your driveway, take it a little slower, just in case there are some small pedestrians in your drive.  Be watchful for children on and near the road in the morning and after school.  Take extra time to watch for children on medians, curbs, and at intersections.  Slow down and be alert.  Turn your cell phone off and concentrate on the road while you are driving in school zones.

Until a child is 10 years old, they should cross the street with an adult.  If they walk to school, help find another child they can walk with.  Caution them to cross only at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks, or obey the crosswalk guard.  Kids should know never to run into the streets or cross in between parked cars.

School bus safety is very important.  Tell your child to wait for the bus to stop before stepping off the curb.  They should stay seated while on the bus, and use lap or shoulder straps if the bus has them.  Children should always get on and off the bus at locations that provide safe access to the bus or school building.  They should always remain in the driver’s view.

If they ride a bike to school, make sure they always wear a helmet.  They should ride on the right side of the road, with the direction of auto traffic.  Teach them to use the correct hand signals.  Wearing brightly colored clothing will increase visibility; also, there are high visibility stickers that could be placed on the bike or backpack to help be noticed.

Record-high temperatures continue to be recorded.  Consideration should be given about food safety, for children who take their lunch.  It’s been noted that foods that should be refrigerated spoil during the time they stay in lunchboxes.  Choose what you send carefully;  non-perishables would be best, or ask the teacher is if there is a small refrigerator in the room that your child’s lunchbox or sack lunch could be kept until lunchtime.

Backpacks should have wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back.  Heavier items should be packed closer to the center of the backpack.  It should never weigh more than 10 to 20 per cent of the weight of your child.  Rolling backpacks are a good choice for students with a heavy load of books, etc.  Just be sure the school allows this type of backpack, and that it won’t have to be lugged up stairs.

There are so many things to express about school safety.  I wish every child from Pre-K to 12 a very happy school year!  Good luck to you parents, too!

I'm thinking about a movie I watched recently...True Grit with Jeff Bridges. I saw the original True Grit starring John Wayne at the drive-in with my parents many years ago and this remake was actually pretty good. That's not what I'm thinking about though.  I'm kind of amazed at how Jeff Bridges is finally becoming recognized as a significant actor.

Now if you're a Jeff Bridges fan, you'll no doubt remember him from some of his memorable roles from many years ago, Tron, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot as well as some of his more forgettable offerings such as Starman and The Fabulous Baker Boys.  For some reason, his star is finally shining with him finally becoming recognized with an Academy Award for his role in Crazy Heart.

He's not the only one making a resurgence.  Actress Betty White is actually "white hot" right now, with her newfound recognition by the younger crowd after seeing her in that crazy Snickers commercial during the Super bowl.   After years of perseverance, she is finally one of the most popular and recognizable actresses in Hollywood.

These actors are just two examples of people I know who were successful early in their career and have managed a kind of late bloomer type career. If you're a fan of comeback stories and people who find success later in life, you've got plenty of examples...Harlan (the KFC Colonel) Sanders, Willie Nelson, George Foreman, etc. As I become shall we say more mature, it's good to know you don't become obsolete.

Somebody Needs Help

There are many charitable organization and many people who generously give to those groups. This is certainly a true statement. Don’t you agree? So why are there so many Americans who need help?  When you give your money to a charity, you don’t know who you’re helping, or how much of your money is going to pay for the organizational structure. How many of us when we see those charitable infomercials wonder to your selves if the money is not lining someone’s pockets. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we should not give to charity. There are many wonderful charities. I’m saying know what your donations are paying for.

I take a different approach. In our community there is no need to go far to find somebody who needs help. Wouldn’t it be a great world if each one of us who could, would help. We all have someone nearby to help. How often we forget those directly around us. Just think, you decide who you’re going to help. You know everything you do is going directly to benefit that person. No overhead or infrastructure to pay for.

I’ve chosen my way of helping. Have you? I challenge each of us to take on a worthy cause in which you can see immediate results. Remember what Mother Teresa said; "Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you."

For those of you who say; you neither have the time, or money, I say stop using excuses. Do what you can. Only you can look inside yourself and know what you’re capable of.

"What sort of people live in the next town?"

I liked this story so much, I blatently stole this from one of my FB Friends.

...  A traveler came upon an old farmer hoeing in his field beside the road. Eager to rest his feet, the wanderer hailed the countryman, who seemed happy enough to straighten his back and talk for a moment.

"What sort of people live in the next town?"  asked the stranger.

"What were the people like where you've come from?"  replied the farmer.

The stranger made a face and said, "They were a bad lot. Troublemakers all, and lazy too. The most selfish people in the world, and not a one of them to be trusted. I'm happy to be leaving the scoundrels."

"Is that so?" replied the old farmer. "Well, I'm afraid that you'll find the same sort in the next town."

Disappointed, the traveler trudged on his way, and the farmer returned to his work.

... Some time later another stranger, coming from the same direction, hailed the farmer, and  stopped to talk.

"What sort of people live in the next town?"  he asked.

"What were the people like where you've come from?"  replied the farmer.

The second stranger smiled, "They were the best people in the world. Hard working, honest, and friendly. I'm sorry to be leaving them."

"Fear not," said the farmer. "You'll find the same sort in the next town."

Unconstitutional

Obamacare is closer to an end. The federal court of appeals agrees that the federal health care law’s individual mandate violates the U.S. Constitution – and cannot be enforced against the American people. This is an important ruling for freedom and limited government.

The mandate exceeds the constitutional limits on Congress’ authority. The federal government cannot rely upon Congress’ power to regulate interstate commerce in a misguided effort to require that every American purchase government-approved health insurance – whether they want it or not. No public policy goal, no matter how important or well-intentioned, can be allowed to trample the protections and rights guaranteed by our Constitution.

U[date: August 12th, 2011
11th Circuit affirms lower court’s ruling striking down the health care law’s individual mandate

Stay Relevant, Stay Viable

In a shopping center around the country, two stark reminders stand of why you need to follow a simple principle: Stay Relevant, Stay Viable

There's shuttered Blockbuster and Hollywood Video stores all over the country. When we first moved to Texas in 1999, there were two major video rental chains, Hollywood Video, and of course Blockbuster. A couple of years ago, Hollywood Video began shutting down its stores. They were having trouble staying viable since many people were beginning to get their DVDs sent to them through the mail using Netflix. Blockbuster took notice and began changing its policy about late returns. Netflix then began offering streaming video to customers who had enough bandwidth. Then RedBox kiosks began showing up everywhere. Blockbuster shut down a few of its stores. Now, they're all gone.

Then there is Borders Books. At one time, mega-bookstores were all the rage. You've Got Mail is a love story overlaid on the concept of the big box store putting the mom and pop stores out of business. Barnes & Noble and Borders were the kings of the megastores. Then Amazon came out with the Kindle. At first people scoffed. "I love the feel of a paper book in my hand" was the common response. Now of course many of us have Kindles or use the Kindle app on our iPad or phone. Barnes & Noble came out with the Nook which was meant to compete with Kindle. Borders did nothing. Now of course Borders filed for bankruptcy and the stores are closing. Seems that people would come in and browse, then order the book they wanted on the Kindle (I was one of those people).

So what's the lesson here? Do what you can to constantly stay relevant.

It's simple. Stay relevant and keep adding value. Make yourself indispensable. If they don't use you or need you anymore, they won't keep you. If you're a business owner, the same principles apply. Are you staying ahead of customer need and demand? Are you leveraging the newest technology? Are you actively polling your customers and following what your customers look for? If not, don't be shocked when they go someplace else.

A famous business seminar speaker noticed his business dropping off, so he worked hard to use technology to plan for the future. Since sending attendees to a workshop is cost prohibitive in a tough economy, he stopped doing public seminars, opting instead to come to their company. Since travel costs are high, he implemented interactive webinars (also since most younger college students are taking classes online, they're used to learning in this fashion). There is no guarantee it will succeed in the long haul, but he's betting most of my competitors aren't' thinking this far ahead.

What about you? Are you looking right now at your job and thinking of how your position could be eliminated or outsourced? Are you working as hard as you can so as to be deemed indispensable? If not, take some time to do it this week.

In The Beggining

A few of years ago I did not know what a blog was. Times have changes! I have decide to start this blog as a way to express myself. I have far too many opinions about too many subjects. If any of you are patient enough to follow my ramblings, I promise something will hit home with you. My philosophy is simple. I believe people come first. People have needs; a home, food to eat, clothing, an education and a job to pay for those basics. For those who don't have what they need, we who do should provide a way for them to obtain them through education, training and available work. I believe in smaller government. This is of course a conflict as I work for the government. It should go without saying that nothing I say in any way reflects the opinion of my job.

Respectfully

Tracy D. Ramthum